The NBA trade deadline (Today at 3PM) is fast approaching. Celtics fans everywhere are hoping that by 3, they will have landed a franchise player to help them get over the hump. Rumors have connected the Celtics to superstars for years the last several years with none to show for it before the deadline.

The latest hooplah came when Isaiah Thomas tweeted an emoji of a pair of eyes. The same eyes that were tweeted a few hours before Al Horford signed with the Celtics. Pistons center Andre Drummond tweeted the same pair of eyes. Conspiracy theorists had their interests piqued earlier this week when the Celtics Instagram account followed Carmelo Anthony. The Celtics have also been rumored around the Bulls Jimmy Butler and variety of other players. Until I see Danny Ainge at a press conference, I am not going to believe a single thing.

If you scroll through Twitter, you will see many reports on the Celtics and trades just as you have for about the past two years. The only thing that has happened that has been rumored is the signing of Al Horford. You can look at the reports all you want, but nothing exciting is going to happen by today by the trade deadline. Jimmy Butler will not be a Celtic. Paul George will not be a Celtic. Carmelo Anthony will not be a Celtic.

Danny Ainge has had opportunities to pull the trigger, but for whatever reason he has not. Celtics fans need to be concerned about how many reports indicate that the Celtics are hesitant to move their armory of pieces. Ever since the trading of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the Celtics have been slowly building assets to eventually stockpile them and receive a legitimate piece in order to win the championship. What these assets are worth if Danny Ainge is just gonna sit on them? You need a superstar in the NBA. The Jae Crowders and Avery Bradleys of the world are gonna get you nowhere.

The Celtics are also guilty of over valuing the two remaining Brooklyn picks. This year, the pick will likely have the best odds of being the number one pick. If the Celtics hold on to it, they are gonna pick from a trio of 19-year-olds who may or may not be a superstar in 5 years. If you could trade that lottery ticket for a Jimmy Butler who is a legitimate top 10 player in the NBA RIGHT NOW, why would you not do that? The team is closing in on being a legit contender, so why is Danny Ainge afraid of taking that next step and losing what may or may not come 5 years from now? That was never the plan. The plan was always to stock up assets and land a for sure superstar. If you do not have that in the NBA, you are not going anywhere.

I’ll admit it, I will be refreshing Twitter zealously today, but Celtics fans just need to come to the realization that if the past is any example, the biggest player coming to Beantown will be Andrew Bogut (or someone of a similar ilk.) Even that might be a stretch. The C’s might have to give up their 1st rounder in the mid to late 20’s. You can read the reports all you want, but until Danny Ainge is at a press conference, they don’t mean a darn thing.

Matthew Cunha is a producer on The Drive, weekdays 4pm to 6pm on 92.9fm The Ticket and streaming live at DriveShowMaine.com. Follow us on Twitter, @DriveShowMaine and “Like Us” on Facebook, Drive Show Maine.